Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-12-23
A CHRISTMAS STORY.
The Misadventures of
John Nicholson.
By ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON.
CHAPTER l.
IN WHICH JOHN sows THE WIND.


authors of their own distinction. He was of
a fat habit, even from boyhood, and inclined
to a cheerful and cursory reading of the face
of life and possibly this attitude of mind was
the original cause of his misfortunes Beyond
this hint philosophy is silent on his career
and superstition steps in with the more ready
explanation that he was detested of the gods
His father-that iron gentleman-had long
ago enthroncd himself ON the heights of the
Disruption Principles. What these are and
in spite of their grim name they are quite in
nocenD no array of terms would render
thinliable to the merely English intelligence;
but to the Scot they often prove unctuously
nourishing. and Mr. Nicholson found in them
the milk of lions About the period when
the churches convene at Edinburgh in their
annual assemblies, he was to be seen descend
ing the mound in the company of divers red
headed clcrgymen; these voluble, he only
contributing oracular mods, brief negatives,
and the austere spectacle of his stretched
upper lip The names of Candlish and Begg
were frequent in these interviews, and
occasionally the talk ran on the residuary
establishment and the doings of one Lee.
stranger to the tight little theological king
dom of Scotland might have listened and
gathered literally nothing. And Mr.. Nichol-
son (who was not a dull man knew this, and
ragged at it, He knew there was vast world
outside, to whom disruption principles were
as the chatter OF tfee top apes; the paper
brought him chill whffs from it, he had met
Englishmen who had asked lightly if he did
not belong to the Church of Scotland, and
then had failed to be much interested by his
calculation of that nice point; it was an evil,
wild, rebellious world, lying sunk in dozened-
ness, Tor nothing snort OF Scous woru Will
paint TINS ScOtSlnahs leeInSs. Ana when ne
entered into his own mousse IN hahdoIph
crescent south sldel, ana smut the door De-
hind him, his heart swelled with security.
Here, at least, was citadel lmpregnable by
right hand OBJECTIONS or left hand extremes
Here was family where prayers came at
the same hour, where the SABBATH literature
was unimpeachably selected, where the guest
who should have leaned to any false opinion
was instantly set down, and over which there
relgned all week. and grew denser ON Sun
days, silence that was agreeable to his ear,
and gloom that he found comfortable.
Mrs. Nicholson had died about thirty, and
lett nm with three chlldren-a daughter two
years, ana son about eight years younger
than John; and John himself, the unlucky
bearer of name Infamous in English his
tory The daughter Maria was good girl
dutltul, plous, dull, but so easily startled
that to speak to her was quite perilous
enterprise. Il don't think care to talk about
that If you please, she would say, and strike
the boldest speeches. by her unmstakable
pam; this upon all toplcs-dresS, pleasure,
morality, politics, in which the formula was
changed to my papa thinks otherwise and
even religion, unless 1t was approached with
particular whiting tone of voice. Alexan-
der, the younger brother, was sickly, clever,
fond of books and drawing, and full of
satlrlcal remarks. In the midst of these, i'm
agine that natural, clumsy, uninteliSent and
mlrthful ANIMAL John; mighty well behaved
IN comparison with other Lads, although not
up to the mark OF the house III Randolph
Crescent; full of sort of laundering affection,
full OF caresseS which were never very warmly
received; full of sudden and loud laughter
which rang out IN that still house like curses.
MIR. Nicholson himself had great fund of
humor, of the Scots order-ntellectual, turn
ing on tn observation of men; his own char
acter, for instance~-if he could have seen it
in another-would have been rare feast to
him; but his sons empty outlaws over a
broken plate, and empty. almost light hearted
remarks, struck him with pain as the induces
Of a weak mind
Outside the family John had early at
tached himself (much as dog may follow Il
marquis to the steps OF Alan Houston, lad
about year older than himself, idle, trifie
wild, the heir to good estate which was still
in the hands of rigorous trustee, and so
royalty content with himself that he took
Johns devotion as thing OF course. The in
timacy was gall to Mr.. Nicholson; it took his
son fro'A tn" house and he was jealous
paren, = k".', Lam from the office, and he
was I'd, int: 4.,,ly, lr. Nicholson was
ambitious Tor his family Qn which, and the
Disruption Principles, he entirely lived, and
he hated to - son of his plaV second fiddle
to an idler. After some hesitation, he or
dered that the friendship should cease-an
unfair command, though seemingly inspired
by the spirit of prophecy; and John, saying
nothing, continued to disobey the order I'M
der the rose.
John was nearly 10 when he was day
dismissed rather earlier than usual from his
fathers office, where he studying the
practice of the law. 1t was Saturday; and
., L., L,.I 1